Elected Officials

Current Mayor of Radford City, serving as the chief elected official under the council-manager form of government.

Vice-Mayor of Radford City Council. Local business owner (Gates Flowers and Gifts), CPA, and IRS-certified Enrolled Agent. Announced candidacy for Mayor in March 2026.

Lifelong Radford resident, Radford High School Class of 1965 graduate, and longtime insurance professional. First elected to City Council in 1988, served on the School Board (1993–2002) and Electoral Board (2019–2023). Returned to Council in 2024 as a fiscally conservative Independent endorsed by the Radford City Republicans, winning with 3,331 votes after knocking on over 2,000 doors.

Radford City Council member, licensed Realtor with Blue Ridge Mountain Realty, owner of MedReach Medical Practice Promotion, and U.S. veteran. Re-elected in 2022 as an Independent on a platform of parks expansion, business development, and infrastructure repair.

Lifelong Radford resident, Radford High School graduate, and career financial professional. Audit Manager at the National Bank of Blacksburg and former associate national bank examiner with the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. First elected to Council in 2022 to an unexpired term, then re-elected to a full term in 2024 as a fiscally conservative Independent endorsed by the Radford City Republicans, earning 34% of the vote.

Independent candidate for the At-Large seat on Radford City Council in the November 3, 2026 general election. Filed with the Radford Electoral Board ahead of the June 16, 2026 candidate filing deadline. Campaign platform and biographical details had not been publicly detailed as of the filing period.

Independent candidate for the At-Large seat on Radford City Council in the November 3, 2026 general election, appearing on a five-name ballot alongside Democrat Jessie Foster and fellow Independents William Joseph Kovarik, Christopher Charles Meeks, and Jonathan Stewart. Kanipe has built his public profile around an austerity-first fiscal message — urging the city to exhaust internal spending cuts before raising taxes and utility rates — delivered during the April 2026 budget hearings amid Radford's state-designated "fiscal distress." His memorable line: "I think we've got to keep digging and not just say this is as lean as we can be." Beyond his ballot status and budget-hearing remarks, little verifiable biographical, campaign-finance, or endorsement information about Kanipe is publicly available.

Radford resident and Independent candidate for the At-Large seat on Radford City Council in the November 2026 election. Radford University graduate (B.A.) with professional experience as a Graphic Artist at Virginia Tech and Program Administrative Specialist II at the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS). First-time candidate for public office.

Independent candidate for the At-Large seat on Radford City Council in the November 3, 2026 general election. A Radford University professor, Kovarik filed with the Radford Electoral Board ahead of the June 16, 2026 candidate filing deadline.

Chairperson of the Radford City School Board, leading the independently elected five-member board responsible for overseeing public education policy and the superintendent for Radford City Schools. Elected in November 2022.

Vice-Chairperson of the Radford City School Board. Former special education teacher who ran as a true Independent without party endorsement in November 2022, securing the third of three open seats with 1,737 votes (23.1%). Elevated to Vice-Chair by her peers early in her term. Advocates a student-first philosophy centered on infrastructure improvements, technology advancement, faculty retention, and equity defined as ensuring every child receives individualized support.

Member of the Radford City School Board. Radford High School graduate, former administrative assistant and substitute teacher with a decade of experience in Montgomery County Public Schools. Holds a B.S. in Human Services from Old Dominion University and an M.S.W. from Virginia Commonwealth University. Chair of the Radford City Democratic Party. Elected in November 2024 by a razor-thin four-vote margin (2,163 to 2,159), endorsed by the Democratic Party, on a platform of transparency, student well-being, teacher support, and fiscal resourcefulness.

Member of the Radford City School Board. Lifelong Radford resident of 52 years, Radford High School graduate, and 27-year Norfolk Southern railroad employee. Youth volleyball coach at the Radford recreation center. Endorsed by the Radford City Republicans and elected in November 2024 as the top vote-getter with 2,500 votes (25.23%) on a platform of school safety, ADA compliance, and supporting teachers. Advocates a collaborative, observational approach to governance.

Member of the Radford City School Board. Career banker with over two decades in the financial sector. Lifelong New River Valley resident and Radford City Schools alumnus with two children currently enrolled in the district. Elected in November 2022 as an Independent endorsed by the Radford City Republican Committee on a platform of fiscal responsibility, academic standards, and parental rights.

Candidate for the At-Large seat on the Radford City School Board in the November 3, 2026 general election. Filed with the Radford Electoral Board ahead of the June 16, 2026 candidate filing deadline for the nonpartisan school board race.

Candidate for the At-Large seat on the Radford City School Board in the November 3, 2026 general election. Filed with the Radford Electoral Board ahead of the June 16, 2026 candidate filing deadline for the nonpartisan school board race.

Confirmed candidate for the Radford City School Board in the November 3, 2026 general election. First-time candidate for public office. No publicly available campaign platform, social media presence, or campaign finance activity reported through VPAP as of May 2026. Running in a nonpartisan at-large race alongside three incumbents seeking re-election: Gloria Boyd (Chair), Jane Swing (Vice-Chair), and Chris Calfee.

Commonwealth's Attorney for the City of Radford since May 2004. Former Roanoke County police officer and SWAT team member who earned a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Radford University and a J.D. from Drake University. Rose from Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney (2000) to chief prosecutor after winning a tied 2004 special election. Has secured convictions in at least 18 murder cases and run unopposed in every re-election since 2009. Implemented a DUI fine policy that has directed over $2 million to the city's general fund. Identified as a Democrat, board member of the Virginia Association of Commonwealth's Attorneys (2017–2024), and gubernatorial appointee to Virginia's Commission on Youth.

Sheriff of the City of Radford since November 2004. Republican who has won every re-election since his initial victory, running unopposed in the most recent 2025 campaign. Under his leadership, the Radford Sheriff's Office became the smallest agency in Virginia to earn state accreditation from the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission (VLEPSC) in 2006, a distinction maintained through five successive re-accreditation cycles. Creator of the 'Good Morning Radford' daily wellness check program for senior citizens and the TRIAD senior safety initiative. Active member of the Virginia Sheriffs' Association.

Treasurer of the City of Radford, elected in November 2025 as a Democrat. A Radford University graduate and former human resources and payroll manager for a national company, she campaigned on a platform of transparency, accessibility, and modernization. Won by a 340-vote margin over the longtime deputy treasurer in a grassroots campaign funded by $1,436 in small-dollar donations. Her stated priorities include modernizing office operations and increasing public access to financial information.

Commissioner of the Revenue for the City of Radford. Responsible for assessing and valuing all taxable property and business assets within the city, processing state income tax returns, and administering local tax relief programs. The Commissioner's office is a constitutionally mandated position in Virginia, serving as the primary local tax assessment authority.